Game-board



B. RYDER. GAME BOARD (No Model.)

Patented Feb. 4, 1890.

" SMAWLDLOCV UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELISHA RYDER, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

GAM E-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 420,737, dated February4, 1890.

Application filed May 9, 1889. Serial No. 310,082. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELISHA RYDER, of Hartford, in the county of Hartfordand State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Game-Boards, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art can make anduse the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a device that may beconstructed in several forms and will afford a test of skill andconsiderable amusement to any one attempting to play the game.

To this end my invention consists in a box or like device with raisedsides having constructed therein a runway having a raised floorterminating at its opposite extremities in goals and provided along therunway with impediments that compel the movement of a rolling body in acurved or zigzag line in order to play the game.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of myimproved game, showing a curved runway or path. Fig. 2 is a plan View ofthe device with the runway straight as to its sides and provided withseveral different forms of impediments. Fig. 3 is a detail View invertical lengthwise section on plane 00 a; of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes a box or likestructure having a floor I) and the limiting-walls c, that form what maybe termed a court. On this floor is constructed a raised runwayd,provided with impediments e, consisting of upward-project ing parts,wickets, or depressions, that are so arranged that a rolling body, as amarble f,

to pass along the runway has totake a curved course in order to play thegame, as illustrated by the dotted line in Fig. 1. The side of therunway is defined by having the floor of the runway lifted above thelevel of the court f, which is all of the floor-space of the box betweenthe walls not occupied by the runway. This runway terminates at oppositeends in the goals d, and this runway may be either straight, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, or may be curved, as shown in Fig. 1.

The game board orbox is made of any convenient material, as of wood, orof paper, and the impediments may be projections that are fiat or roundor of other convenient shape, so long as they are arranged to requiremovement of the rolling body in a curved or zigzag line along therunway. The same'result, so far as obstructing the direct movement of arolling body, as a marble, is concerned, may be accomplished by makingthe impediment in the form of grooves or depressions cut into the floorof the runway, as at 6'.

ickets 6" maybe arranged in alternation along the sides of the runway,and the game played by compelling the marble to pass through successivewickets without rolling off the runway; or the impediments may bearranged in a continuous line with openings at intervals and the marblerolled from one side of the impediment to the other through thesuccessive openings without passing off the runway. This is illustratedby the lengthwise arrangement of the impediment. (Shown on the left inFig. 2 of the drawings.)

The game is played by holding the board or box in the hand, placing amarble or like round body in one of the goals, and then by tilting theboard cause the marble to roll along the runway and avoid theimpediments without passing laterally outside of the edges of therunway. These edges may be indicated by a line, or the floor of therunway may be lifted above the floor of the court, so that if the marbleruns off the line it cannot roll back into the runway, and the form ofstructure with the floor lifted is preferredwhether the obstruction isin the form of a barrier, a depression, or a wicket.

I claim as my invention- In a game, in combination with a board havingthe floor and limiting-walls, a runway having a raised floor andterminating in goals, and with fixed impediments arranged alternatelyalong the runway in position to prevent the movement of a rolling bodyin a straight line, all substantially as described.

ELISHA RYDER.

Witnesses:

CHAS L. BURDETT, W. B. JENKINS.

